Refreshing Escape to the Queen of Hills!

Travel has always been a medium of expressing and exploring myself. It’s been a rejuvenating elixir. Undoubtedly, the past few months have been quite stressful and monotonous. Everyone wanted an escape and were eagerly waiting for the unlock phase to commence.
However, after unlock 4.0, even though people wanted to travel, they were quite apprehensive and afraid to step out.
As a travel content creator, I wanted to aid the travel and hospitality industry by encouraging travel enthusiasts like me to explore places that were revitalising and safe. So, as soon as travel restrictions were lifted, I planned to explore some beautiful nearby destinations; and what could have been better than a trip to Mussoorie?

Earlier, a COVID-19 negative certificate was mandatory for travellers visiting Uttarakhand. But in the month of October, we were just required to register for an e-pass on the Dehradun Smart City portal and download the Arogya Setu app in our phones. Although, a COVID -19 test wasn’t mandatory, we opted to get a test done for the sake of everyone’s safety.
We planned to travel by our private car, as it was safer and convenient. We also got our car thoroughly sanitised a day before travelling.

Upon our arrival, we made sure that our hotel provided us with a contact-free check-in and our rooms were well sanitised. The property ensured that the guests wore masks in crowded areas, and the staffs wore masks and gloves at all times.

We checked in at Ramada by Wyndham, a fairly new property at a phenomenal location. The windows of our rooms opened up to the serene views of the mountains. We planned to ditch the cliché locations in Mussoorie and make the getaway interesting with treks and fun activities.

On day 2, we trekked to lover’s point, which was a 30-minutes beginner’s trek. The view upon reaching on top was absolutely stunning and the trek was totally worth it. We trekked amidst lush green hills and fresh air.

In the evening we planned to take a cable car to the Gun hill and view the winter line. We were fortunate to plan this trip at this time of the year, as the winter line view became the main highlight of our vacation.

Winter line is an atmospheric phenomenon which takes place only in Switzerland, Mussoorie and Nainital. The winter line is visible in Mussoorie between October and February. It is basically a second horizon that is formed when warm air is trapped beneath cold air.  It was indeed magical to witness the scenic beauty.

We also explored local shops and cafes at Mall Road. Two of our favourite sites were little Llama and Chic Chocolate. I highly recommend fellow travellers to try pink sauce pasta at Little Llama and hot chocolate fudge at Chic Chocolate while gazing at the breath-taking views around the properties.

On day 3 we discovered a beautiful waterfall named Khimadi waterfall. Unlike Kempty falls, this waterfall was cleaner and had no visitors. In the morning, one can see a pretty rainbow at the fall.
The next destination had to be Lambidhar mines, which are believed to be haunted. It was an exciting experience listening to haunted stories about the place from the locals. 

It was day 4 when we were craving to visit Landour bakery and grab some scrumptious desserts and breads for ourselves. We also visited Char Dukkan and tried hot momos and cheese Maggi there. It was indeed the best Maggi we’ve ever had.

On the same day, we visited George Everest. The amazing view of the landscape from the top left all of us spellbound.

Mussoorie seemed quite less affected by COVID-19, and tourists responsibly practiced social distancing everywhere. We also travelled everywhere in our car to avoid public transports. Spray sanitisers were kept handy and we religiously wore masks throughout.

The city had been so welcoming that this getaway was a perfect escape after a stressful lockdown period. Moreover, it is an amazing option for leisure and adventure for travellers. From marvellous landscapes to good food, from romantic weather to amiable locals, the queen of hills has a lot to offer to all travel enthusiasts.